Physics Electronics NUMS 2019 Reconduct
PMDC Verified Question 478 of 494

In a half wave rectifier, the diode conducts during:
A
One half of the input cycle
B
A portion of the positive half of the input cycle
C
A portion of the negative half of the input cycle
D
Both halves of the input cycles
Tap any option to test your recall and reveal the step-by-step Propolis autopsy.

Propolis Cognitive Error Autopsy

Official Correct Choice:
Option A: One half of the input cycle
Concept:

A half-wave rectifier uses a single diode that only permits current flow in one direction.

Solution:

An ideal diode conducts only when it is forward-biased. In an AC sinusoidal wave cycle:

  • During the positive half-cycle, the diode is forward-biased and conducts current.


  • During the negative half-cycle, the diode is reverse-biased and blocks current.


Therefore, the diode conducts for exactly one half of the input cycle (e.g., \( 180^\circ \) out of a full \( 360^\circ \) wave cycle).

Why other options are incorrect:

  • Both halves describes the conduction pattern of a full-wave rectifier instead.


  • The diode conducts for the entire positive/negative half-cycle, not just a small portion of it (assuming an ideal diode).

Quality & Fidelity Assurance: Every question on BeambePrep is rigorously curated against the official PMDC syllabus with zero filler, zero out-of-syllabus content, and zero typos. When an authentic past paper originally contained a historical mistake or ambiguity from the examining board (such as UHS or NUMS), BeambePrep faithfully reflects the original paper while detailing the nuance and scientific consensus in the autopsy above.

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